ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1402, 30 March 1912, Page 11

ATHLETICS.

MORE OLYMPIAD GOSSIP. SPRINTERS AND THEIR DOINGS, [Br "Meecurt."] April 8 (Easter Monday)—Wairarapa A.A. Club's Annual Sports Mooting, Mastcrton. April B—University Tournament (Dunedin). For the Olympiad. On Monday G. N. Hill will leave Auckland for Sydney, en route for Stockholm. This is extremely gratifying in itself, but unfortunately it does not mean that tho campaign i?j over. On tho contrary, tho local Olympic Council finds itself in tho position of having, after all, to take a step it meant to avoid if possible—to go to the local public for personal subscriptions. It wns iioped that contributions from tho various sports bodies would obviato the necessity for this, but the financial statemout brought before tho meeting. on Tuesday night showed that the estimate outlined in this column last week was unduly optimistic, and that it would bo necessary "to go to tho country" for tho .£OO still required. The campaign has already started, and judging from previous experience in these matters, there should bo uo doubt- ns to its successful outcome, as our public in the past has shown itself ready enough to assist in a good cause' such as tho present one.: At-tho same time, it must bo confessed that tho condition of things evidenced by the necessity of this public appeal is disappointing to a degree. Of tho worthiness of the causo for which tho funds are wanted there. can be no question—the Olympio Games have now reached a pitch of importance that has taken them outside the realm of mere athletics— they are now almost universally looked upon as tho best of international physical supremacy. Tho seriousness with which* tho matter is treated in other countries, particularly in thoso of the Old World, has been dwelt upon from time to time in these columns, audit is a peculiar fact indeed that it is in Australasia where the athletic tastes of tho community are held to be so pronounced—in the eyes of some authorities, far too pronounced—that so much difficulty is experienced in coping with public indifference.' It may be that the ■■ distance, -separating us from the de-ciding-places'-of the Games-held up till now is accountable for the non-stimula-tion of ■ public 'interest in these gatherings, and it may be that in the present instance we are suffering a recovery from the effects of that awful debacle, the Festival of Empire Sports, over which the athletic authorities and public of Australia and New Zealand were misled to an extent that would be laughable were it not so serious in its, effects on tho sport. However, whatever the contributing causes, there can, unfortunately, be no doubt as to tho result, and one trembles to think of the unfortunate position in which the Olympfe Council would havo found itself had all those nominated for inclusion in the team accepted selection, What Might Have Seen. In view or" the state of things as they are, the following extract from <m article in the London "Sporting Lifo" on our Olympic representatives is of melancholy interest, is showing what they might have been in the eyes of an outside critic:— "The later reports of the Australasian championships show that they should have a first-class team for tho Gaines, although it is ns yet uncertain whether all the cracks will mnke the journey. Tho ■'explanation: of Opje's. 9 '4-ss«c, whiehi seemed.,iliucli too ' good' to bo true, is that it was'run .with the wind, after the preliminary 'heats against the wind had taken over" Usee. But there is no doubt whatever as to the value of G. N. Hill's mile running, and. he must be regarded a 4.20 milcr; W. G. Harding ran well boat 2min. for the half, while Opie is certainly quite first-class at a furlong, and even at a nnnrter. With a high jumper who has" beaten oft. tin., a hurdler to do 15 !"-s«ec.. and a number of other men quite up to the championship standard., 1 : Australasia-, koks, Uko playing her 'part- at. Sweden--fight yvell." Murray's-Walks. Since his selection as a member of tho Australasian Olympic team, W. Murray, the.Victorian-.walker, has put up two splendid performances. In one of these, on the St. Kilda cricket ground, and timed by two watches, ho walked eight miles 350 yards in ono hour. According to Inncs's recent "Bcok on Walking," only two amateurs, viz., W. J. Sturgess, the last English champion, and G. E. Earner, the present champion, have ever done M*ht miles in mi hour. Lanier's world's 'record is 8 miles 43S yards. '.I he Australasian, record (W. Sheaves, Sydney) is seven miles 105 yards. Ike other was the subject of a cablegram received here during the week stating iliat he had lowered the world's record for 3500 ■metres, covering. Hie distance in IJ-min. <9 3-ssen. ■ In.-this : cdiinection, it is rather interesting, to 'note-.that-.Mr. T. Paul, <■-. well-known' local, .amateur , athletic en-, thusiast, was in Melbourne on holiday, and saw Murray hoist the Gmin. 22m0. for a mile that has since occasioned such a pother amongst the cognoscenti. _ Mr. Paul affirms that, from the experience gathered from his connection'with thu game—a fairly long one—he could find nothing to cavil at in Murray's gait, and, while not setting up as an expert in the matter, ho is quite satisfied in his own mind that tho Victorian's "mode of progression" was quite in conformity witn the Australasian code. Records Differ. Apropos of walking "Prodigal," of the "Referee," has tho following in his notes of last week:— - "I notice that a New Zealand writer is quite' insistent that the-mile walking record stands to 'the credit of Gcorg? Goulding at fimin. 22 l-asc-c. I have a list of accepted Canadian records before me for the year ended 1911, and it gives Gdulding's record at Gmin. 25 l-ssec. - "Mercury" does not know who tho writer referred to is, but his insistence is accounted for by tho fact that the. N./J. A.A.A. Official Handbook gives tho following in its list of world's- records:— '■-' ''Ohe-m'<e walk (Gmin. 22 l-5--ec.). G. H. Goulding." However, as Mr. Coombes appears to havo the figures before him, 'as compiled on the spot, it may be as well for future reference to note the correction in the handbook. It is possible, of course, that. Goulding's mile of Gmin. 2' l-ssec. may have been made in the United States, in which case it would not show among the Canadian records in Mr Coombos's possession, and in which case the New Zealand writer would be correct after all. Ashley Duncan Again. There were two outstanding performers at the Victoria College meeting last. Saturday—A. T. Duncan and F. Hall-Jones. After the former's sensational running at Levin, he was looked to for a good afternoon's work, and he "delivered the good"" He made a troblo win, annexing tho "hundred" in 10 2-ssec, the 220 yards in 23sec. 'a college record), nnd tho quar-ter-mile flat in 53 l-ssec. This is good running, and the performance is all the. more meritorious from the fact Hint he received no assistance from the conditions' of the day. The track was in fenod order as regard's the turf, but in the circular events was laid off with sharp turns— that into the straight for the 220 yards event being particularly bad. Tlie '.'hundred" was run straight into the southerly breeze, as also was the long straight-of-the furlong. Duncan on his present form is right in Hie championship class, and liis condition speaks well lor the prennration ho is undergoing at the hands of .1. Bell. Unfortunately for the V.C., the sprinter will not be able to compete -in iiis college interests at the University tournament in Dunedin on Easter Mon- ' day, on account of the regulation pic-hib-' itiiig any student from competing on more than five occasions. However, he iileuds making the trip with the Victoria Collego team, and rumour has it that no is endeavouring to arrange a match with Ronald Onie. who will be representing Canterbury College.

V. linll-Joncs put up a noteworthy performance in' the high jump. Starling nt 4ft. Gin., find going up nn inch nt a time, lin won'this event, nt sft. 7Jin., after ns neat a display as has been given by any of our local jumpers for years. Ho jumps in the "scissors" style, coming in from the left, and leaves the ground with an easy spring that augurs well for his future as a "leppor." On Saturday lie asked too much of himself. Tie jumped too often by far, and would have sho-vn better generalship by itandinff out after clearing the "opener." 110 oould hava ions in ajain nt, m.j, 3ft, Xtn., and th.ua'

retained ita.energy expended, in clearing the intervening heights for tho bigger tasks. L)y adopting this method, and: pith a triflo more experience, ho should find sft. 9in. or sft. Win. well within Ihis powors next season J .: , ■ "' '" , '."" Other performances of merit during the* afternoon wero.T. Kigg'a win in tho ono niilo and Becond in tho thico-milo rune, in imin. 41 3-ssec. and lGmin. 22 t-Tvcc., respectively; and F. ]?. Hoid's half-mile, run from scratch, in 2min, 7 2-ssec, Unfortunately again for tho college's tournament prospects, tho former of theso runners is deliarred from-competition for tho same reason as Duncan.

I'. W. B.,Gflodbohero turned out in the "hundred,"' furlong, and quarter, and run well forward throughout, but. lacked condition Bomowlint, " after' his long rest and short preparation. This is not surprising, but by Eastor Monday ho should be nearly ready for hard racing- As it is, his running gives encouraging evidence, of a possible roturn to his old-time sprinting lorm if tho necessary timo and trouble be 6pent in tho "coming back" process.